Impact apparatus with real-time feedback

Abstract

An impact apparatus and a computing system provide real-time feedback about a particular activity performed using the impact apparatus. In one general aspect, a method includes providing a user interface that displays a plurality of impact zones, the plurality of impact zones corresponding to a plurality of impact zones on an impact apparatus configured to generate voltage in response to an impact. Implementations can include determining a hit impact location and a velocity of an object for an impact event and updating the user interface with the hit location and velocity. Implementations can include determining a response time for an impact event. Implementations can include determining a location and magnitude of an impact event. Some implementations may include determining whether a location is a target location. Implementations can score an impact according to its magnitude, location, and/or response time.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from an impact apparatus, voltage information generated in response to a plurality of impact events, the impact apparatus including at least one impact zone configured to generate voltage in response to impact without a current producing device;   for each impact event of the plurality of impact events:   determining a discharging device attributable to the impact event based on at least one of a magnitude or an impact type determined from the voltage information, the discharging device being one of at least a first discharging device and a second discharging device, and   updating session data for the impact apparatus, including updating a count of impacts attributable to the discharging device;   calculating a score based on the session data; and   providing a user interface displaying the score.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, for each of the plurality of impact events:
 determining a hit impact zone for the impact event,   wherein the score is calculated based on the hit impact zone.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first discharging device has a weight higher than the second discharging device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the impact apparatus has at least two impact zones and the session data includes, for each impact zone of the at least two impact zones, an impact zone count, the impact zone count reflecting a total number of impact events where the impact zone is a hit impact zone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the impact zone count includes a number of impact events attributable to the first discharging device and a number of impact events attributable to the second discharging device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the impact type is determined based on analysis of a voltage profile for the impact event. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the impact type is one of a glancing impact and a direct impact and a glancing impact event has a lower weight in determining the score than a direct impact event. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 providing a user interface that displays a plurality of virtual impact zones, the plurality of virtual impact zones corresponding to a plurality of physical impact zones on an impact apparatus, each impact zone of the plurality of physical impact zones configured to generate voltage in response to impact;   receiving, via the user interface, selection of a target impact zone from the plurality of virtual impact zones;   transmitting the target impact zone to the impact apparatus and recording a start time, wherein the impact apparatus changes an appearance of the target impact zone in response to receiving the target impact zone;   receiving, from the impact apparatus, voltage information generated in response to an impact event, the impact event being an impact of an object on the impact apparatus; and   in response to receiving the voltage information generated in response to the impact event:
 recording a stop time and calculating a response time based on elapsed time measured between the start time and the stop time; 
 determining a magnitude of the impact event for the target impact zone based on the voltage information that is attributed to the target impact zone; 
 calculating a score for the impact event based on a reciprocal of the response time and the magnitude; and 
 updating the user interface to reflect the score. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the voltage information includes, for at least one physical impact zone, voltage measured during an impact period lasting less than half a second. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the target impact zone is a first target impact zone and the method includes:
 receiving, via the user interface, selection of a second target impact zone of the plurality of virtual impact zones, wherein the first target impact zone is assigned a first weight and the second target impact zone is assigned a second weight; and   transmitting the first target impact zone and the second target impact zone to the impact apparatus, wherein the impact apparatus further changes an appearance of the second target impact zone, wherein the changed appearance of the first target impact zone differs from the changed appearance of the second target impact zone.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein in response to receiving the voltage information generated in response to the impact event the method further comprises:
 determining a magnitude of the impact event for the second target impact zone based on the voltage information associated that is attributed to the second target impact zone;   calculating a first weighted magnitude by applying the first weight to the magnitude of the impact event calculated for the first target impact zone;   calculating a second weighted magnitude by applying the second weight to the magnitude of the impact event calculated for the second target impact zone; and   calculating, as the score, a combined score for the impact event by combining the reciprocal of the response time with the first weighted magnitude and the second weighted magnitude.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the user interface, a sequence of target zones, the target impact zone being included in the sequence of target zones; and   transmitting the sequence of target zones to the impact apparatus, wherein the impact apparatus is configured to serially change an appearance of the physical impact zones corresponding to the target impact zones in the sequence of target zones, with progression through the sequence of target zones being triggered by an impact event to any of the plurality of physical impact zones.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the impact apparatus, respective voltage information generated in response to each impact event;   calculating a respective score for each target impact zone in the sequence of target zones from the voltage information attributed to the target impact zone;   calculating a sequence score using the respective scores; and   updating the user interface to reflect the sequence score.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving the target impact zone includes receiving an activity profile, the activity profile indicating target impact zones and non-target impact zones and wherein calculating the score for the impact event includes:
 determining, for each impact zone, a magnitude of the impact event based on voltage information attributable to the impact zone;   calculating a target magnitude by combining the magnitudes for the target impact zones;   calculating a non-target magnitude by combining the magnitudes for the non-target impact zones; and   calculating the score as a difference between the target magnitude and the non-target magnitude combined with the reciprocal of the response time.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the activity profile includes a respective weight for each impact zone and wherein, for each impact zone, the magnitude of the impact event for the impact zone is multiplied by the respective weight for the impact zone. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein calculating the score as a difference between the target magnitude and the non-target magnitude is accomplished by using negative weights for non-target zones. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the weights correspond to an expertise level. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one physical impact zone is in padding worn by a user striking the impact apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 updating the user interface to display the magnitude of the impact for each impact zone.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the start time is recorded in response to recognizing a voice command of a user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the start time is recorded in response to recognizing a predefined motion of a secondary sensor. 
     
     
         22 .- 42 . (canceled)